The present invention relates to a cantilever spring contact switch and more particularly to a telephone hookswitch.
Various types of hookswitches are employed in telephone instruments whereby one or more contacts in a spring group are actuated when the associated handset of the telephone instrument is lifted or replaced. Numerous forms of hookswitches are known having been the subject of many patent applications and patents filed during the past century. Recent examples are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,448,225, 3,558,832 and 4,268,726. Hookswitches disclosed in each of the subject patents effectively perform the basic requirement for the hookswitch of opening and closing circuitry in response to placement of the telephone handset in contact or removal from the associated hookswitch. However, in most prior art hookswitches the switching contacts included therein are subject to the formation of a film or oxide thereon which might impede or isolate current flow. This phenomena is particularly true when the telephone is operated in an area where the atmosphere may be considered corrosive. Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to overcome the above outlined disadvantage by providing a hookswitch structure in which contacts thereof separate or join with a wiping action when the handset is placed in contact with or removed from the hookswitch.